Massachusetts Institute of Technology Top Questions

Is the stereotype of students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology accurate?

Kaitlin

For the most part, I think this is accurate. There are no jocks or good looking people. The student body is really diverse though and I have met some amazing individuals.

Hunter

Although MIT might have a rather high ratio of ugly to people, not EVERYONE is ugly. Its exactly the same in every other college. We do spend a lot of time on homework. This is because we get assigned so much work. Most people spend half the time complaining about it and wishing they were doing something else.

Elise

The stereotypes are accurate; most MIT students are pretty nerdy and have a unique sense of humor. I was a bit turned off by the stereotype; I didn't want to go to college with a bunch of nerds, but really after visiting I realized they're not completely stereotypically nerdy, they are just special.

Hannah

Fortunately for all of us, none of them are. I've only seen one person actually wearing a pocket protector and no one with those horrid glasses. More importantly, we do actually have social skills and great friends! Yes we work hard, and yes we are smart, but we are REAL PEOPLE! There are all sorts of people too, people addicted to anything from Rubic's cubes and Starcraft to Project Runway and Gray's Anatomy. And believe it or not, there are people here who don't like math . Though you better be careful , we may end up saving the world while you're not looking...

Alex

A small subset of MIT students, less than ten percent, meet the "crazy nerd" or "quiet nerd" stereotype. The rest of us have that intellectual intensity, but maintain more of a balance in our lives. We know how to have friends, dress up, converse with non-MIT students, and even have strong intimate, professional and social relationships.

Elli

in some people yes definitely, but for 85{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the mit community - NOT AT ALL. MIT students are generally pretty out going and very helpful with everything. Most people are really smart, yes, but most are not going to rub it in anyone's face. Yes there are a lot of Asians on campus, but being a white female i have friends of all races. I came from a very normal high school where I fit in just fine, so I feel that I have fine communication skills and know many people who are just as personable as anyone else in other colleges. Yes we study and work a lot but it's MIT, you wouldn't do well if you didn't work a lot, but there are PLENTY of parties and even if that's not your thing, people hang out and chill all the time. If someone didn't shower, someone else would make them shower

Amanda

Studying is the most important stereotype to address, and it is completely untrue that MIT students only stay in their rooms and study. There are amazing clubs and independent living groups (including greek life) on campus that hold activities for the entire campus. Going out ranges anywhere from just hanging out in your dorm with friends to fraternity parties. These parties, contrary to what would be popular belief, are renowned throughout the immediate area for bringing lots of fun. This pertains to the stereotype of drinking at MIT as well. MIT students definitely know how to have a good time, and the old addage work hard party hard is also true. Some people do drink a lot, and some people don?t drink at all. It is possible to find all kinds of people on campus; people who drink heavily, people who never drink, people who do drugs, and people who barely leave their lab/classroom/lab. People here also have relationships. Some people are single, some people go for random hook-ups, and some people have stable on-camps/long distance relationships. I have a boyfriend, but he lives down the hall from me, which makes things easier. I know some people who maintain long distance relationships, and it is hard but they do it. Being an MIT student doesn?t keep you from relationships, it might make it a little harder though. Lastly, I would like to think MIT students are ugly. I know some very pretty MIT students. I would say we have the same proportion of pretty/plain/ugly people as most campuses in the country.

Alex

The stereotypes range from spot-on to outrageous. It is true that MIT students are nerdy and smart, and it is true that the school is very hard. On the other hand, there are a lot of girls, and a lot of people who no nothing about computers.

Kent

There are a few students who fit this category i.e., I've seen the pocket protector before. These stereotypes, however, are resoundingly inaccurate. Although work, in the form of Psets (problem sets/homework), can suck a great deal of time and effort from you, it's normally not all we think about. There are countless groups to join and more sports than most other schools. Social interactions, especially in the Greek system and in West campus, thrive at MIT.

Jesse

Mostly yes